Mail-box.



F. P. DE NOBIL I.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. \9I8- 1,2754 36. Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

FRANK PIBBIO DE NOBILI, F VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.)

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. e, 1918.

Application filed February 11, 1918. Serial No. 216,547.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK PIRRO DE No- BILI,a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of the city of Vancouver,in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail boxes, and the objectof myinvention is to provide a device of this nature which is simple andinexpensive in construction, and in which provision is made toeffectually prevent the unauthorized removal therefrom, or thedestruction of or tampering :with, letters, parcels, or the like,through the inlet opening, once the same have been deposited therein,and thus obviate the risk of theft or destruction of the mail, apossible occurrence in mail boxes not so provided.

I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 is a face view of my mail box.

Fig. 2 is a side view.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line ab of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 1s afragmentary cross section taken on the line ab of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line ccZ of Fig. 1.

tom, with a suitable door, however, (not' shown) for the authorizedremoval of the contents, the front wall of the casing being providedwith an opening 2, to the upper and lower edges of which are securedtransversely extending members 13 and 14 substantially channelv shape insection and each of which members is provided with a wing extensionportion 15 and 16 respectively through which fastening screws may bepassed and screwed into the box, and resting in the lower channel member142 is the lower edge of a flap 3 which extends across the opening 2 andthe ends of which are turned first inwardly, as at in Fig. 5, and thenturned again, as at 5 in Fig. 5, to continue at right angles to theinwardly turned portions, terminating at each end just clear of theinner face of the side walls of the casing. This flap mem-' beingcarried below the top edge of the flap.

3 and disposed adjacent thereto and covering the same.

The flap 6 is doubled over as shown in Figs. 3 and 4t and extendedwithinthe casing to form another flap 7 having a curved lower end 8, sothat, in effect, a double flap member is formed swingably connected tothe box at 9, the fiap f which extends extcriorly of the casing and theflap-7 interiorly of the casing, the member 3 being disposed between thetwo flaps and the curved end 8 of the member 7 extending below theinturned ends 4 and 5 of the member 3.

11 and 12 indicate resilient members extending between the lower end' ofthe memher 7 and the ends 5 of the flap 3 and forming "connectionstherebetween:

The operation ofmy device and its utility will be apparent, on referencebeing had to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 themail box is shown closed and it will be noted that the opening 2 iscompletely covered by the fiaps3 and 6 and that no admission can be hadto the interior of the casing unless the flap 6 is pulled outwardly.This has theeffe'ct of bringing the parts into the position shown inFig. 4 in which it will be seen that the outward movement ,of theflap 6also swings flap 7 toward the front of the casing, causing it to bear,through the medium of the resilient connec tions 11 and 12, on the ends5 of the flap 3 and thereby inclining the flap outwardly to form achute, as it were, the lower end of which is closed, however, by thecurved end 8 of the flap 7. Mail matter may now be deposited in thechute so formed and the fl ap 6 released, whereupon it,;the flap 6, andthe flap 7 will swing inwardly, the movement being accomplished by theresilient connections 11 and 12, thus moving the curved end 8 clear ofthe lower end of the flap 3 and allowing the mail matter to drop intothe boX.

From the foregoingit will be apparent that the mail cannot now bewithdrawn back through the opening 2, as any action taken to do sothrough the'operation of the flap 6 will swing the curved end 8 underthe lower end of the chute then formed by the inclining outwardly of theflap 3, thus ef fectually closing the only inlet opening into theinterior of the box.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have devised a simple inexpensivemail box out of which the unauthorized removal of mail, or itsdestruction, is prevented in a practical and efficient manner.

I do not, however, limit myself to the complete mail box constructionshown, in so far as individual boxes are concerned, as the essentialelements of my invention, that is, the flaps 3, 6 and 7, may be appliedwith equal facility to suitable openings in doors, drawers, lockers, orany other receptacle provided for the deposit therein of mail or othermatter.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a mail box, the combination with areceptacle having a mail inlet, of a flap swingably connected to thelower edge of the inlet and partially closing the same, a flap swingablyconnected to the upper edge of the inlet and completing the closure of.the same, and means connecting the flaps whereby outward movement of theupper flap swings said lower flap outwardly to form a mail chute for thereceptacle.

2. In a mail box, the combination with a receptacle having a mail inlet,of a flap swingably connected to the lower edge of the inlet andpartially closing the same, a flap swing'ably connected to the upperedge of the inlet and completing the closure of the same, and meansconnecting said flaps whereby manual operation of the upper oneoutwardly swings the lower one also outwardly to form a mail chute forthe receptacle, said means being adapted to return said flaps to theirnormal positions when the upper flap is released.

3. In a mail box, the combination with a receptacle having a mail inlet,of a flap swingably connected to the lower edge of the inlet andpartially closing the same, the ends of said flap beinr turned to extendinto the receptacle and then turned sidewise, an exterior flap swingablyconnected to the upper edge of the inlet and completing the closure ofthe same, said flap being doubled over at its upper end to form aninterior flap extending within the receptacle the lower end of which iscurved, and resilient connecting means whereby outward movement of theupper flap swings the lower flap outwardly to form a mail receivingchute and carries the curved end of the interior flap under the lowerend of said chute to close the same.

i. In a mail box, the combination with a receptacle having a mail inlet,of channel shaped members secured to the upper and lower edges of thesaid inlet, a flap swingably dis osed as to its lower edge in the lowerchannel member and partially closinthe inlet, a flap swingably disposedas to its upper edge, in the upper channel member completing the closureof the inlet and doubled over so as to form an interior flap the lowerend of which is curved and extended below the lower ede'e of the lowerflap, and resilient connectine means between the said lower flap and thesaid interior flap.

5. In a mail box, the combination with a receptacle having a mail inlet,of a flap swingably connected to the lower edge of the inlet andpartially closing the same, a flap swingably connected to the upper edgeof the inlet and completing the closure of the same, an interior flap 7resilient connecting means whereby outward movement of said upper flapswings said lower flap 3. outwardly to form a mail receiving chute, andmeans cooperating with the upper flap for then closing the lower end ofsaid chute.

Dated at Vancouver, B. (1, this 30th day of January, 1918.

FRANK PIRRO DE NOBILI.

Copies oi this patent. may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

